The Elixir of Forever
by Felilla
Summary: Nelly Vine is a sixth year Hufflepuff with a dark secret, one that could destroy the fragile peace in the Wizarding World: an Elixir that can revive the dead. When Death Eaters discover she has it, they attack Hogwarts and she is forced to flee with an unlikely set of allies to stop the resurrection of Voldemort himself. Will they succeed? OC-centered. First book in the Elixir Saga
1. Beginning

Nelly Vine brushed back a stray white-blonde hair as she straightened up and looked out her large balcony french doors. The cool late summer breeze blew in and she tugged her blue sweater up a little higher. It was a nice day in Florida; she could hear the waves crashing in the distance, but it was almost overrun by the sounds over her family running around. "Hey, Nel, you almost ready?"

Nelly glanced over at her little brother, Tam, and smiled. He was a spitting image of their father with continually messy dark brown hair and forest green eyes. "Almost, Tam. I'll be down in a minute."

He bobbed his head and disappeared from the doorway. She glanced over at her vanity. In the mirror, a matured girl of sixteen was reflected. Her white-blonde hair fell in curls across her shoulders, half of it pulled up. Other than that, her features were ordinary. Large stormy gray eyes, tannish skin from summers on the beach and two scars on the palms of each of her hands from an accident when she was kid. There wasn't very much to look at, but she wasn't terribly ugly either.

She sighed, stacking her books up. Tomorrow, they were boarding the train to Hogwarts. Something crawled up on her shoulder and she glanced over at it. "Hello, Vivaldi."

The hedgehog squeaked and jumped down onto her books. She rolled her eyes, "What are you complaining about? You're going too."

Vivaldi glared at her owner. "Oh, you don't want to go into your cage, right?"

At the hedgehog's apparent huff, she laughed and scooped the small mammal up. She walked past her dresser, plopping Vivaldi down. "I wish I could do a little magic... It wouldn't kill anyone."

The grumbling crouched down and reached under her bed. She pulled out a small wooden chest with silver casing. Her hedgehog squeaked when she saw the box. Nelly put her finger to her lips, "It was extracurricular for Professor Laroux. She's thinking about inquiring the Ministry for a Potion's-making apprenticeship for me."

"I thought you wanted to be an Auror."

Nelly yelped in surprise and glanced at her grandmother standing in the doorway. Helen Vine looked very youthful for her age, not a black hair graying and not a wrinkle on her joyful face. After getting over her initial surprise, the younger girl nodded. "I still do, but Professor Laroux thinks I'd be a good Potion-maker."

"Like your parents," Helen stated matter-of-factly.

Nelly nodded, "But some of my other teachers think that I could also pass the Auror Exams if I prefect my techniques."

"Well, you didn't get anything less than 'Exceeds Expectations' on your O.W.L.S. I'd say your horizons are pretty expanded. Now, let me see those potions of your's."

Sheepishly, Nelly held up her chest. Helen took it and began looking through the contents. "I haven't used any magic on them yet. Laroux said I could do that on my free-time during the first couple weeks of school."

"Get your gloves," Helen said after sniffing one of the concoctions.

Nelly scuttled over to her chest and pulled on her leather gloves. "What'd I forget?"

"Mint. Two leaves..."

After tugging on her goggles, she grabbed two mint leaves and dropped it into the potion. A small puff of green smoke floated up from it, making both of them grin. "I was wondering what I missed," Nelly mumbled as she put her stuff back and packed the chest away in her trunk.

"Helen! Nelly! Hurry it up."

They glanced at each other and rolled their eyes. Nelly picked up Vivaldi, gently putting her in the hedgehog's roomy cage.

* * *

><p>Diagon Alley was bustling as per usual during this time of the year. First years stared around in awe, especially muggle-borns. Every once in a while, Nelly would see a kid with a wand box tucked under their arms and she would touch the comforting enchanted wood hidden under her sleeve. Helen tugged both Tam and her grandfather, Eric, away from shops that were not on a need-to-go basis. "Nelly Vine?! Is that you? It is!"<p>

A weight suddenly latched onto Nelly, who was barely phased. "Hello, Jayne," she glanced at the girl behind her.

Jayne Foscher let go of Nelly and grinned, "I missed you over the summer, Nel! You rarely wrote! I had Kevin complaining to me all summer about it!"

Nelly laughed, "I told you, I was busy this summer, Jayne."

The other girl pouted, "Yeah, busy running around on the beach. How was it, by the way?"

"Hot," Nelly replied truthfully.

Jayne rolled her eyes before she noticed the rest of the Vines. "Oh, hallo there!"

"Hello, Jayne," Helen said with a small smile. "How's your mother?"

Jayne's expression darkened slightly before she smiled, "She's doing better, ."

"Hey, Jayne!" Tam greeted his older sister's best-friend.

"Tam-boy!" Jayne exclaimed, ruffling his hair.

"H-hey!" he shouted, flushing as he tried to fix his hair.

Nelly chuckled and spotted a woman walking towards them. "I think your mom's looking for you," she commented to Jayne quietly.

Jayne spun around, "I'll be there in a minute, mum!" she looked back at her friend and her family. "I best be going. See you on the train, Nelly!"

Nelly waved to the white-haired girl as she ran off. Helen smiled softly, "Such a nice girl."

Nelly nodded and she began walking again... Only to crash into someone. She rubbed her head as she stepped back. The black-haired girl glared at her and Nelly glared back. "Black," the gray-eyed girl growled.

Raven Black smirked at her, "Vine."

"Snake."

"Badger."

They both stepped around each other, never breaking eye-contact. Raven hissed at Tam when she passed him and he just smirked back. "Um," Helen's eyes followed the girl as she walked away. "Who was that?"

"Raven Black," Nelly grumbled. "Worst person alive."

"Nelly!" Eric exclaimed as Helen just stared at her granddaughter in shock. Nelly was not one to judge people, let alone comment about them. She and Tam were all about gathering information without being biased about anything. It was the way their father had taught them to be.

She breathed out, "Sorry, Gramps, Gram."

"It's okay," Helen reassured her. "Just remember what your father would always say careful-"

Nelly nodded, "Collective."

Tam smiled, "Calculating."

Eric grinned, "Changeable."

After hearing her father's famous words, nelly felt much better. "Okay, let's go! I need a new cauldron. My last one exploded."

"How?" Tam questioned.

"Let's just say Baneberry kind of looked like Boom Berry..."

* * *

><p>The moon shone through the window of Nelly's permanent room; in their family house in England. After checking to make sure everyone was asleep in their beds. Nelly took her potion's chest out of her trunk. Vivaldi ran over to her, pawing at her leg. "Shh," the girl put her finger to her lip.<p>

She pulled out the chain around her neck that disappeared under her nightshirt. On the end, a silver key glinted. She opened her chest and moved one of the glass vials, revealing a keyhole. The key slid in easily as she twisted it to the side. The sound of multiple locks clicking thundered in her ears though it actually made almost no noise at all. The top layer of the chest popped up and she put aside. Inside was what she wanted.

A crystal vial on a leather cord sat in the bottom of the chest along with several pictures and an opened letter. She knew if she moved the velvet ever so slightly, a list of ingredients would be there. She picked up the vial and stared at the swishing purple- almost black-liquid inside.

A slight creak made her snap her head towards the door. She put the vial back into the chest and set the upper compartment on top. The locks clicked back into place and she sighed in relief as the lid snapped closed.

* * *

><p>Nelly wasn't sure if she was looking forward to this year or if she wasn't. Sure, she'd been going to Hogwarts the past five years, but some of the people at the school were not in her top ten list or even her top five hundred list. So, as she settled down in her seat on the train, she questioned if maybe going to the Wizardry school was such a great idea.<p>

She ran her hand along Vivaldi's quills as Tam flopped down into the seat across from her. Tam was starting his third year at Hogwarts as a Ravenclaw. "I honestly never thought Gramps would never stop talking about 'the days he was in school'!"

Nelly rolled her eyes before leaning over and flicking Tam in the forehead. "Hey!" he exclaimed, rubbing his forehead defensively.

"Stop complaining, dingbat. Gramps and Gram just want to make us feel more comfortable."

"Gee, Nel. When'd you become so compassionate?"

She smirked, "When you wet your bed last week."

His cheeks turned bight red. "T-that was because I drank too much water before falling asleep!"

Nelly laughed, "Tell Rosalyn that."

Tam glared at his older sister, "You wouldn't dare."

"I'm sure she would," a bubbly voice said, announcing her appearance.

The two siblings turned towards the door to the small booth and saw a girl with vibrant white hair standing in the doorway. "Hello, Jayne," Nelly greeted.

Jayne beamed at her best-friend, her dark brown eyes shining. She plopped down next to Nelly, happiness radiating off of her. "So, Nel. Did you here there's going to be new student?"

"Um, Jayne," the white-blonde haired girl started cautiously. "It's the beginning of the year, there's going to be a lot of new First Years."

"No," Jayne stated matter-of-factly. "He's a sixth year, like us."

Tam tilted his head, "What now?"

"I got the information you wanted, Jayne," a new voice added from the doorway.

The occupants glanced over at the newcomer. Kevin Tanner. Nelly was wondering when he might show up. Kevin ran a hand through his mass of black hair, panting slightly. "Did you run a marathon or something, Kevin?" Nelly questioned, raising an eyebrow.

He shook his head as he sat down next to Tam. "I went and asked around about the mysterious new guy," he gasped and fell back dramatically. "I'm exhausted now."

"What'd you learn?!" Jayne asked excitedly, practically pouncing on the boy.

"He's originally from Durmstrang Institute, but got kicked out on account of his troublesome behavior."

Nelly blinked in surprise, "Is that even possible?"

Kevin shrugged, "Guess so."

"I don't care about all that!" Jayne exclaimed, causing some passing students to stop and look at her.

Nelly glared at them and they slowly backed away. Kevin jumped up, closing the door. "What's his name? What does he look like? Does he have a girlfriend? Is he-"

The other girl threw a hand over Jayne's mouth. "Give the boy some time to speak, Jayne."

The white-haired girl's shoulders sagged and Nelly looked pointedly at Kevin. He just stared blankly at him for a moment. "Oh right," he chuckled sheepishly. "His name is Damon Heap. That's all the information I got."

Jayne glared at him before licking her best-friend's hand. Disgusted, Nelly pulled her hand away, rubbing it on the bubbly girl's robes. Said girl stuck her tongue out. "Well, we won't have to wait long to find out everything about this Damon guy."

They all blinked blankly at her. She groaned, "C'mon, guys! We have the Vine siblings in here! They know everything about everyone!"

The two siblings laughed nervously. It was true. The Vines were well-known for getting information about anyone. In fact... "Oh, Muriel and Dan got together," Nelly said absently.

"What?!" Jayne screeched before shaking her best-friend senseless. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?!"

"We only learned about it just before we boarded the train. They were snogging on some bench," Tam explained.

"Well, it's about time! I spent all of last semester trying to get those two together!" Jayne reported calmly, stopping from shaking Nelly.

Kevin snorted, "You only spent a week on them. The rest of time you trying to get me and Julie Layfield together and then you tried to get Nel together with some Slytherin creep."

Jayne winced, "Not one of my best ideas... You and Julie would be perfect together though, Kev!"

Kevin flushed, "I already like someone else..."

"Who?! Tell me, tell me!"

"Like hell I would tell you!"

Both of their heads suddenly slammed back into the wall. They groaned and looked over at Nelly, who had her wand out. "You're being too loud," she growled.

They both rubbed the back of their heads. "Sorry, Nelly," they muttered simultaneously.

She crossed her arms and leaned back. "Tam," she looked at her brother. "Shouldn't you go find Rosalyn, Max, Day, and Yuudai? I'm sure they're looking for you."

"Oh yeah..." he jumped up, smiling at his sister and her strange friends. "I best be going. See you!"

Once he was gone, Nelly turned to glare at her two friends. "Don't cuss in front of my little brother!"

"He's thirteen, Nel. I'm sure he already cusses," Kevin told her.

"Not on my watch he ain't!" she exclaimed.

"Nel," Jayne whined. "Don't go American on us. It confuses me!"

"Sorry," Nelly said sarcastically. "He isn't. Is that better?"

"We could do without the fake British accent," Kevin mumbled.

The white-blonde haired girl turned to look at him, raising a questioning eyebrow and he shrunk back slightly.

"So, you must be the Ice Queen," an unknown voice said from the doorway.

They turned to look at the guy leaning against the doorframe. He was completely unfamiliar from his short brown hair to his bright blue eyes. It was obvious he worked out from his slightly muscular build. "What's it to you?" Nelly questioned.

"American? That's interesting."

She smirked, "Don't go falling in love with me, Hotshot. Too many fanboys already."

He laughed, "I wouldn't bet on-"

"Oh dear!" Jayne exclaimed. "You're him, aren't you?!"

He blinked, probably surprised at being interrupted. "I am who?" he questioned.

"You're Damon Heap! The new guy!"

He smiled amusedly, "So, you've heard of me. Do you want a-"

"He's Damon Heap?" Nelly questioned skeptically. "Shouldn't he be bigger? He was from Durmstrang."

"Actually-"

"Well," Kevin added. "He was kicked out. Maybe he was too small to be one of them as well as being a troublemaker."

"No, I-"

"Oh maybe," Jayne gasped. "He wasn't a troublemaker at all and he was just too scrawny!"

"I-"

Nelly looked over at him, "Oh, did you want something?"

"Is that seat open?" he glanced at the seat Tam had previously been occupying.

"No," Nelly stood and opened the window. A snow white owl swooped down and landed on her arm before jumping onto the bench. "That's Orion's seat."

Damon stared at the owl for a moment before looking at each of the Hufflepuffs and the Gryffindor. They all grinned at him. "Okay then," he said slowly. "I'm just going to go then..."

"Have a nice trip," Kevin said.

"Bye-bye," Jayne waved.

Nelly watched him, her snarky smile still on her face. He just nodded and walked away, mumbling, "Weirdos."

Jayne looked at her best-friend, "He was so cute!"

The other girl just rolled her eyes, "Whatever you say, Jayne."

"I think he was ugly as hell," Kevin added, his jaw set into place.

The white-haired girl blinked. "I sense a love triangle a-coming."

* * *

><p>When Nelly saw the large castle in the distance, all of her doubts faded away. She loved her grandparents and she was happy they had opened their house to her and Tam, but this is where she belonged. Hogwarts was her home. She climbed off the train and went walked over to the carriages, petting the Thestrals. Then, she stepped up and the journey began.<p>

She was so used to going to Hogwarts every year that she had almost forgotten every other way of life. This was her vacation. She bounced her leg excitedly as she waited for the carriage to pull up. Vivaldi squealed happily at the quick movement as if she were riding a rollercoaster. "You have a strange-looking rat."

And there goes her good mood. She watched the boy sitting across from her unenthusiastically. "Why are you in our carriage?" she asked.

Damon shrugged, "I did my sorting two months ago. Got Hufflepuff. Some random lady told me to go in here."

Jayne pouted, "First Tam, then Kevin, now him! When are we going to get some girl time, Nelly?!"

Nelly laughed, "Tonight, same beds as always."

"Did you remember-"

"Yes, it's in my Potion's kit."

Jayne clapped her hands together, "Yippee!"

"Um..."

"I can't wait for some pumpkin juice," Nelly mumbled. "I will never drink lemonade again as long as I live!"

"I know right! We went camping for a week in Colorado and it was just salmon, salmon, salmon. I'm sick of it."

"Why didn't you tell me you went camping in America?"

Jayne blinked, "I did... I sent you a letter last month about it."

"I stopped getting letters from you after the first two months of break. Wait, did you get any of my letters?"

"I only got three or four. Why?"

"I must of sent at least ten..." Nelly paled. What if- No, that was absurd. But impossible? No. She took a deep breath, "Guess our owls got a little turned around since we were traveling so much."

Jayne bobbed her head, "That must be it." She turned to Damon, who had been silent during their conversation. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

"I do not."

Nelly heard a slight German accent in his voice, but it was mostly dominated by his British. Strange... She touched the ribbon in her hair for reassurance. Wearing one was a practice her mother had drilled into her and just having one in her hair was a comfort, even though small.

"What about you?"

"Hmm..." Nelly glanced over at Damon. "I'm sorry, what'd you say?"

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

Jayne laughed, "Nelly's whole life revolves around her schoolwork. She doesn't have time for guys."

"Nor will I ever," Nelly added. "I have things to do that are a whole lot more important than snogging."

He raised an eyebrow, "A relationship isn't just about snogging, Vine."

She winced, "Call me Nelly. I'd prefer people in my own House use my first name."

"Okay, then, Nelly. Call me Damon and-" he looked over at Jayne. "I don't believe I caught your name..."

"Jayne. Jayne Foscher."

"Oh, well a pleasure to meet you both."

Nelly snorted, "Not for long."

"What do you-"

The carriage stopped and Nelly grinned, stepping out. She was home.

* * *

><p><em>How do you like it so far? Please review. ^_^<em>


	2. Start of Sixth Year

**Okay, I've decided that this particular story takes place 38 years after Voldemort's defeat. That means Albus S. Potter graduated a year prior. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley have been serving as Aurors during this time. More information to come as the story progresses. **

* * *

><p>"Nelly! Jayne! And... Other person!" an enthusiastic voice called out.<p>

Nelly and Jayne looked at each other, smiling and rushed over to plop down next to a guy much larger than both of them. Damon raised an eyebrow and followed. The big guy stood up, towering over the previous Durmstrang student. He was used to it, but he didn't really expect someone this tall at Hogwarts. The big guy smiled, "Hallo, I'm Rune! Pleasure to meet you, new one."

He shook Damon's hand hardily before making him sit down next to Nelly, much to the white-blonde haired girl's dismay. "I'm starving," Rune said, sitting down. "Are you Mister-"

"Damon Heap."

"Ah, right then. How was your summer, Nelly?"

Nelly smiled, "Wonderful. Florida's beaches are absolutely gorgeous."

"I wish I could've gone," Rune said dreamily.

"Some day," Nelly nodded. "You want to be a traveler, don't you?"

"Yes, I-"

The doors opened and everyone fell silent. "Hey, what's the-"

Nelly elbowed him in the stomach and put a finger to her lips. He glared at her, but remained silent until the Sorting was over. Nelly looked up at Headmistress McGonagall as she began to speak. "Welcome students, to a new year at Hogwarts!"

Cheering.

Nelly listened to the entire speech, with a small smile on her face. "Let the feast begin!"

And that small smile was because she hadn't eaten since breakfast. She piled her plate with food as she chewed on a biscuit. Damon watched her, his mouth slightly agape. "What?" she asked before swallowing down some pumpkin juice. "Never seen a girl eat before?"

"It's not that... It's just... You eat as much as the Durmstrang boys do."

"Is that an insult?"

He smirked, "Maybe. Hey, could you-"

She stuffed a roll into his mouth, "You talk too much."

Jayne glanced over, smiling. "What are you smiling about?" Nelly questioned.

"Oh, nothing in particular. Just thinking..."

The gray-eyed girl paused half-way to a turkey leg, "About what?"

"Nothing~." she sang.

Nelly raised an eyebrow, "I don't like that look on your face."

"What look?" Jayne questioned, trying to seem innocent.

"That look," both Damon and Nelly said, before facing each other and glaring. "Don't copy me! I'm not copying you! Stop that!"

Jayne and Rune laughed nervously as Nelly stuffed more rolls into his mouth until he was practically choking on them. "Immature Hufflepuffs."

"Astra!" Rune exclaimed. "What are you doing over here? Shouldn't you be over at the Slytherin table?"

"You sound anxious to be rid of me, Brother. I just came over to grab some honey buns. We don't have any of them over at my table," a petite girl said as she reached past Nelly.

Her tiny hands gripped two honey buns. Compared to her brother, Astra Conner was a runt. She smirked at the Hufflepuffs and wandered away. Damon blinked blankly after her, "That was your sister?"

Rune sighed, "Yes. Dessert should be coming soon so eat up, Heap. You'll need your strength for tomorrow's classes."

"What?"

Jayne bobbed her head, "Especially if you're in potions."

"Huh?"

"No, Archer is going to work him like a dog if he has Magical Creatures," Nelly said.

"I do..."

All three of the other Hufflepuffs smiled evilly at each other. Rune slapped him on the back, "It was nice knowing you, Heap."

"What?!"

* * *

><p>"Hey, Nel..."<p>

Nelly and Jayne were sitting on Nelly's usual bed, eating chocolates. Professor Malancloff was extremely lenient as opposed to the other House Heads. All of the girls were catching up with their friends and making sure to welcome any newcomers. Nelly looked over at her best-friend from the chocolate-covered blueberry she was eating. "Yes?"

"I've been wondering, why did you back out last minute of staying with me for the summer?"

The gray-eyed girl's mind wandered back to the tip that the Vines had received. She couldn't tell Jayne anything about that, though. So, she did the next best thing. She lied. "Gram and Gramps have been getting a lot more clingy lately. It is the fifth year..."

"Oh," the white-haired girl nodded her understanding. "I'm sorry."

Nelly rolled her eyes, "It ain't your fault, Jayne. Don't apologize."

"What you girls talking about?" an extra weight asked from the edge of the bed.

Jayne and Nelly faced Benji Bangrok, who smiled brightly at them. "Oh, just talking about our break," Jayne told her nonchalantly.

The other sixth year bobbed her head, "What'd you do, Benj?"

"I stayed home. Nothing special. It was the strangest thing though... I saw some ex-Death Eaters strolling around London. One of them sold me some fish and chips; saw his tattoo, I did."

Nelly instantly paled and jolted up from her bed, her hand cupped over her mouth. "Good going, Benji," someone said.

"What'd I say?" the seventh year girl was confused.

Jayne smiled softly, "It's okay, Benj. She probably just ate too many chocolates."

Benji blinked, but nodded as the younger girl went after her friend.

After heaving her guts into the toilet, Nelly stood up weakly. Jayne rubbed her back soothingly. "They're ex-Death Eaters, Nel," she told her. "And if they're out walking around then they're not killers."

Nelly ran some water over her mouth, "I know, Jayne. It's just- Gah!"

She splashed some of the cold water on her face and reached into her pocket, withdrawing a mint. "Should we put the chocolate away?"

"No, I just need a minute. Sorry..."

"It's no problem," Jayne told her. "The anniversary is coming up soon..."

"Two months."

Two months until the anniversary of the day her father died and of the day her mother disappeared. The thought made Nelly gag. She hated thinking about that night. It was too much for her stomach to handle most of the time. Jayne patted her best-friend's back in the most comforting manner she could. Eventually, Nelly stopped and straightened up. "Okay, we should-"

An ear piercing scream echoed through the Hufflepuff House. Jayne and Nelly glanced at each other before rushing towards the problem. "What happened?" Nelly questioned, panting.

One of the girls, a fifth year named Julie, pointed to the radio that everyone had gathered around. Nelly pushed her way to the front of the group. "Harry Potter, Auror and Defeater of Voldemort, was reported missing this afternoon by his wife, Ginny Potter. There have been no traces of him for two months. He was assumed to be on duty when he vanished."

"Harry Potter-"

"Is missing..."

"What if he's dead?"

"Would the Death Eaters-?"

"No, they wouldn't dare."

"The Ministry has been working hard to resolve the issues with them," Nelly openly dismissed all of the ideas.

"But-"

She glanced at Julie, "Their numbers aren't even high enough to cause any real damage, Jules. Plus, without their 'leader' they're lost. And last time I checked, the dead can't come back to life. We're fine, guys. The worst attack that has happened in thirty years was at the Battle of Hogwarts. Let's just go to sleep. Potter is probably just a bit hung up and hasn't been able to contact anyone."

The other girls nodded, moving towards their beds. A chorus of goodnight's rose up from everyone. 'The dead can't come back to life, huh?'. Nelly glanced at the potions chest sitting on her nightstand. The dead can't come back to life without the Eternity Elixir.

* * *

><p>The next morning, word of Harry Potter's disappearance had already spread through the entire school and it was the topic of the morning. Nelly quietly munched on her toast, hoping to avoid conversation with everyone. Jayne was still asleep and would be until ten minutes before breakfast was over. So, Nelly was mostly alone as she sat at the Hufflepuff table. "Hey, Nel."<p>

She glanced at Kevin and smiled slightly, "Morning, Kev. How'd you sleep?"

He shrugged as he sat down next to her. "The news kind of rattled me," he admitted. "I can only imagine how the Potters feel."

Nelly nodded as she brushed back a stray hair. As usual, her hair was up in a ponytail, one of her mother's favorite cornflower blue ribbon secured around it. She leaned forward to grab a roll, only to have another hand almost touch the one she wanted. "Oh, hello there, Nelly."

With an irritated sigh, Nelly snatched a different roll and looked up at Damon. He smirked as he grabbed the first roll. "Morning, Hotshot."

He plopped down across from her and Kevin and began putting strawberry jam on his bread. Kevin glared at him for a moment before turning to Nelly. "How'd you sleep?"

"Fine, thank you," Damon said.

"I wasn't asking you," Kevin growled.

Nelly rolled her eyes, "I slept well enough, Kevin."

"Oh, so not that good?"

She shook her head slightly. Nightmares had kept her up all night, but she would never tell Kevin that. "I said I slept well. I'm awake, aren't I?"

"Unlike some people," Kevin mumbled.

Nelly glanced at him before bursting out laughing. "Jayne's not a morning person, Kevin."

He chuckled, "I know."

They were so busy laughing, they didn't realize someone was behind them until Damon frantically pointed. Nelly and Kevin slowly turned towards the person and saw a very agitated Foscher girl standing behind them. "H-hello, Jayne," Nelly said, catching her breath.

"H-hi," Kevin forced out.

Jayne rolled her eyes and sat down next to Nelly, instantly falling asleep. Nelly poked her and she tipped over. The two other friends glanced at each other before the white-blonde haired girl bent over Jayne. "Pancakes!" she yelled.

The white-haired girl's eyes shot open as she jerked up, "I'm awake!"

Damon blinked at Jayne then at Nelly, ending with Kevin. They were a strange group, but kind of fun. Nothing like the boys at Durmstrang. "So, Nel," Kevin started slowly. "You trying out for Qudditch again?"

She glanced over from giving Jayne a plate of pancakes and nodded. "You play Qudditch?!" Damon exclaimed in disbelief.

"Um, yes. Is that so hard to believe?"

"No, it's just. You strike me as the studious type, not the athletic type."

Nelly and the others raised an eyebrow. "Nelly is actually a Seeker," a new deep voice said.

They all glanced over at Rune, who sat down. He smiled at them all, though it seemed more like a smirk directed at Damon. "She is one of the best Seekers Hufflepuff has ever had."

"Oh, I'm not that great," Nelly waved away the comment. "I just like flying."

"Always have," Jayne and Kevin both testified. Jayne giggled, "She was the worst flier when we started, though. Everyone thought that Oline Jenson would become the Seeker. She was the best at the time."

Kevin shook his head. "But Nelly didn't give up. You see," he leaned forward as if Nelly wouldn't hear him. "She hated Oline with a passion back then."

"Not anymore though," Rune added. "Anyways, Nelly practiced day and night until she was the best. Now, she's the Seeker."

"Wow, didn't know Ice Queen could be bad at anything," Damon smirked, looking over at Nelly who was glaring at her friends with her arms crossed.

"I need to go," Nelly told everyone, standing up. "Professor Laroux wanted to talk to me before classes."

She left, grumbling something about gossiping old ladies and an inconsiderate cockroach under her breath. Jayne laughed with a strange look on her face while Kevin glared at Damon and Rune just stuffed his face with eggs and toast.

* * *

><p>"Welcome to N.E.W.T. Level Potions," a tall lady said from the front of the Potion's classroom. "This year, we will test you're boundaries of Potion-making. First, we will start off with a potion you should all be familiar with: Babbling Beverage. It's a simple potion. Please turn to Page 42 in your text books to find a list of ingredients and instructions. Miss Vine, Mister Heap, may I talk to you for a moment?"<p>

Nelly blinked in confusion but walked to the front of the classroom anyways. Laroux was a tall woman with straw blonde hair and dark green eyes; pretty but not defined. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Heap," Laroux started. "However, you're Potion standards seem to be a little low, seeing as you barely made it to Exceeds Expectations on your O.W.L.S. in Durmstrang. Miss Vine here is currently my best student."

The two Hufflepuffs glanced at each other. They knew where this was going. "She's going to tutor you and make sure you can get caught up before we get into anything too complicated."

"But, Professor-" Nelly started.

Laroux glanced at her, raising an eyebrow, "Tutoring looks good on an apprenticeship application, Nelly."

She sighed in defeat and Laroux smiled. "You two get the Babbling Beverage put together. Oh, and Nelly?"

"Yes?"

"Don't do all of the work."

"Of course not."

They walked to the only empty table as Nelly flipped open her book. "I don't want to do this any more than you do, Nelly," Damon said as he opened his own book.

She huffed, "Just grab the ingredients."

"All of them?"

"Yes, all of them. I don't want to get a bad grade just because you can't seem to make a good enough potion."

He rolled his eyes, "They're just potions. Not like they really do much."

A sharp sting entered his cheek as the sound of skin connecting with skin echoed through the room. He stared blankly at Nelly, who's hand was still raised in the air. Everyone in the class stared at them, including Laroux. "What the hell was that for?!" Damon exclaimed.

"Believe it or not, asshole, potions are extremely important in more than one way. If you don't think so then what the hell are you doing here?"

"Don't really have much of a choice, Vine."

She glared at him, "Go get those ingredients before I really make you regret it."

He rolled his eyes, "Whatever."

With that, he stomped away and Nelly faced her book. She looked like she was ready to flipped through it angrily, stopping periodically until Damon returned. They glared at each other as Nelly grabbed the first ingredient. She pointed to the book, "First, you add the dandelion root."

* * *

><p>"Do you understand now?" Nelly question as Damon cut up the last of the Knotgrass.<p>

"A little. So, I add this-" he put it into the cauldron, "and stir counter-clockwise?"

She nodded, "Right. Then you drink it."

"It doesn't have to brew for a while?"

Nelly shook her head, "Not Babbling Beverage. It's usually ready after you stir five or six times."

"Oh, okay then." He gripped the spoon with one hand and stirred the concoction. On his fourth stir, he realized that most of the other students were still adding ingredients. He glanced at Nelly who tapped her fingers on her leg anxiously. "I'm done, Nelly."

She looked at the brew and nodded. "Good, ready?"

He nodded, lifting up the spoon and dropping some of the pink liquid into a cup. With a lift of the cup, he tipped it back and drank. "Did it worklaldkadaja," he blinked. "I meant... Didifghhdaahdha? Weirfrhahdass... Colahahdaksf! Ithad workfsdafasa Nelahdhadkfk!"

Nelly smiled as she waved Laroux over. The professor nodded, "Did you do anything, Miss Vine?"

"Only instructions, Professor."

"I trust you have the antidote."

Nelly nodded and pulled out a small bag from her cloak's pocket. She withdrew a small glass vial and put it to Damon's lips when he paused to take a breath. He instinctively swallowed. "Wow! I feel amazing," he told them after a moment. "That's the first successful potion I've made outside of O.W.L.S. I just learned the one's I needed to know then."

"Good job, Mister Heap. I am, however, giving you some homework to work on so you can catch up a bit more. Miss Vine, be sure to help him I'll add it to your potion accomplishments."

"Thank-you, Professor," Nelly clapped her hands together as Laroux walked away to grab whatever homework she had for Damon. She looked at her partner, "I'm still angry with you, though."

"I'm so-"

The room filled with people randomly babbling, blocking out Damon's words. "What?!" Nelly yelled.

"I'm so-" he was drowned out again.

She raised an eyebrow as his lips continued to form incoherent words. Eventually, the babbling stopped altogether, but the bell rang before Damon could finish what he had to say.

* * *

><p><strong>Yes, I made up the part about Dandelion Root being in the Babbling Beverage. I don't know what's actually in it or how to make it so... I made it up! I originally made an entire instruction thing for it, but... Ah, well. If you want to know how to make Babbling Beverage (which I honestly doubt) I will send you the instructions I made up for it. ^_^<strong>


	3. Detention

**Sorry about the wait. It's a little short, but I plan on the main turning point being in the next chapter, so I guess it doesn't matter much, does it?**

* * *

><p>"How many of you can do a successful Transfiguration?"<p>

A few hands went up, including Nelly's and Damon's. Nelly had barely perfected her Transfiguration the year before and she hadn't been able to practice it over the summer, so she wasn't sure if she could still do it. She was a little surprised Damon could do one. "Ah, Miss Black. Why don't you show us how it's done?"

Raven Black stood up, smirking at Nelly as she flounced to the front. She jumped slightly, her form slowly changing into that of a black crow. Professor Elevan clapped, "Very good, Raven."

She shifted back into a person and smiled at the praise. Nelly grumbled something quietly under her breath, causing Jayne to laugh. Elevan's head snapped over to look at them, "Girls!"

The two Hufflepuff girls shot up, "Yes, Professor Elevan?"

Elevan winced, "Don't talk simultaneously like that."

Nelly and Jayne glanced at each other, before turning back to Elevan, "Of course, Professor Elevan."

The Transfiguration teacher rolled her eyes and turned to the board. "A Trans-"

Damon leaned over from his spot next to a Slytherin boy named Loki. Nelly looked from the piece of parchment on her desk to the brunette boy pretending to pay attention. She sighed and opened it. Like messing with the teacher, Ice Queen?

Nelly glanced up at Elevan, who still had her back turned to the class. Quickly, she scribbled down: Of course I do, she favors Slytherin, Hotshot. It's a little more than slightly annoying.

In an effort to make passing the note seem natural, Nelly yawned dramatically and dropped the parchment on Damon's desk. He picked it up quickly, a small smirk on his face. Jayne leaned over, her eyes focused on the board. "I thought I was the only one allowed to pass notes in class, Nel."

Nelly rolled her eyes, "You need to focus, Jayne. You barely made it into this class."

"Not everyone can be as smart as you, Nelly."

The blonde haired girl laughed silently, "I ain't smart, Jayne. I'm just a hard worker."

Another piece of parchment landed on Nelly's desk. She opened it more slowly than Damon did, Well, we should teach her a lesson. What do you say, Ice Queen?

How about "no". I can't be ineligible for Qudditch before it even starts. She passed it carefully to Damon.

"Professor Elevan, Heap and Vine are passing notes!" Raven shouted out.

Nelly immediately paled, waving her wand so the words on the parchment disappeared. Elevan strode down the aisle and came to stand between the two Hufflepuffs. "Why are you passing notes in my class?"

"Um..." Nelly bit her lip nervously.

"Nelly was just giving me some tips about Transfiguration," Damon lied smoothly.

The professor looked at him then at Nelly, who nodded. After a moment, she sighed, "Five points from Hufflepuff and detention during lunch today. And don't worry, Miss Vine, you will still be eligible for Qudditch."

She turned on her heel and began writing on the board again. "As I was saying-"

Damon and Nelly glanced at each other. When he saw her glare, he chuckled. She rolled her eyes and turned away. Detention... With him... That had to be the worst combination ever; she could barely stand him during classes. Jayne was staring at the two of them, a thoughtful expression on her face. "What are you looking at, Jayne?" Nelly questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing..." Jayne hummed as she turned back to face the board.

The blonde girl shook her head and looked at Elevan. She glanced at Damon out of the corner of her eye, seeing that he was actually paying attention. She shrugged to herself; maybe he wasn't a total deadbeat.

* * *

><p>"I'm still angry with you," Nelly mumbled to Damon in Elevan's classroom during detention.<p>

He shrugged, "Kind of figured you would be."

She beat the chalk out of the erasers, coughing when the white dust floated towards her. Damon aired the dust away from him while he leaned on his broom. "Can't we just do this the magical way?" he questioned.

Nelly looked over at him, "No... If Elevan found out, she would kill us."

As she was talking to him, she accidentally dropped one of the erasers. She bent down to pick it up and the vial on her necklace slipped out. Damon tilted his head, "What's that?"

The blonde girl straightened up immediately, tucking the necklace under her shirt. "It's nothing," she told him, facing the door.

"If it's nothing, why do you have it?" he question, leaning over her shoulder.

She jumped away from him and crossed her arms, "Because I want to."

"Nelly Vine, you are one strange girl."

She dropped into a mock curtsy. "Well, thank you, Heap," she replied in a dramatic English accent.

He chuckled before sweeping the broom across the floor again. She started beating the chalk out of the erasers again. "I'm sorry."

"Hmm..?" Nelly looked up at Damon. "What was that?"

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier about potions. I didn't realize your parents were Potioneers."

She blinked slowly, "Who told you that?"

"Jayne," he replied. "I asked her why you were so obsessed with potions. It makes sense, I guess, using them as a way to stay connected to them."

She tightened her grip on the erasers. Not very many people could understand why she want to be like her parents. There were a million other reasons, but that was probably the most important. "There are so many things I wish I could've told them," she mumbled.

"I know how you feel, in a way. My mother died when I was young. I don't remember her that well, but I do remember her smile," he smiled at the thought. "Sometimes, I wonder if she'd be proud of me."

"She probably would be."

He laughed, "I doubt it. You know what I got kicked out of Durmstrang for? Starting fights and losing. I must have lost at least six fights every month."

"Were they duels?"

"No, they were fistfights. They were just naturally bigger than me, so of course they had the advantage."

She covered her mouth, muffling her laugh. "What?" he asked.

"N-nothing..." she managed to stutter out.

"What's so funny, Nelly?" he moved towards her before poking her forehead.

"Hey!" she exclaimed.

"Stop complaining."

"Never!"

"Then I'll have to throw you out of that window!"

"You can try."

They progressively got closer until they were practically nose to nose. Nelly laughed out loud and Damon followed suit. She clutched her side from laughing too much just as Elevan walked in. "What's going on in here?"

The two students turned to look at her before turning to each other. "Nothing," they replied simultaneously.

"Stop that!" Elevan exclaimed before groaning. "Get out of my classroom, you two."

"Bye, Professor," they said at the same time.

The moment the door closed behind them, they started laughing again. "C'mon, we'll be late for dinner," Nelly said and they raced down the hallways to eat something before it was all gone.

* * *

><p>"At least we got dessert," Damon said and Nelly nodded in agreement.<p>

"I guess detention was a good bonding experience for you two," Jayne commented as she ate her pumpkin pie.

Nelly turned towards her, smiling sweetly, "I actually have a bone to pick with you."

Jayne swallowed heavily, "Suddenly, I'm not so hungry. See you guys later!"

She ran off quickly and Damon and Nelly burst out laughing. Rune shook his head, "I knew that it would all work out in the end."

"What was that, Rune?" Damon questioned.

"Oh, nothing."

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed it. ^.^<strong>


End file.
